Throttle cable guide



Nov. 24, 1970 I F. w. HAMILTON 3,5

THROTTLE CABLE GUIDE Filed Jan. 13, 1969 United States Patent Office 3,542,980 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,980 THROTTLE CABLE GUIDE Francis W. Hamilton, Southfield, Mich., assignor t Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 13, 1969, Ser. No. 790,679 Int. Cl. F16b 9/02 US. Cl. 287-20 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A throttle actuating cable extends through a tubular guide anchored within an aperture in a thin sheet metal firewall of an automotive vehicle. The guide comprises a one-piece molded plastic body confronting a front face of a panel of the firewall and having a projection extending rearwardly through the aperture. The projection has an enlarged rearwardly tapered nose from which a pairof integral arms diverge forwardly and laterally to engage the rear face of the panel, the arms being resiliently yieldable toward the projection to pass freely through the aperture. A pair of lugs fit closely within mating portions of the aperture and extend integrally from opposite sides of the projection transversely to the lateral directions of divergence of the arms and also rearwardly from the body to overlap said forward ends. A resilient spacer under compression between said front face and body normally urges the latter forwardly and holds said rearward ends firmly against the rear face of the panel, but is resiliently yieldable to enable rearward movement of the body sufficiently to move said arms out of engagement with said rear face.

This invention relates specifically to a throttle actuating cable and means for guiding the same through the thin sheet metal firewall of an automotive vehicle, although the invention may be employed in other applications wherein it is desired to guide a cable inexpensively through a thin wall or panel.

Various unitary cable guides adapted to be inserted through an aperture in a panel from one side thereof and to interlock with the panel are well-known to the art. Such guides however, unless expensively manufactured to close tolerances with respect to the thickness of the panel and the aperture, tend to shift and cock relative to the panel during operation and frequently become disengaged. Particular trouble arises when the panel comprises thin sheet metal and the cable guide comprises a one-piece tubular molded plastic having portions engageable with opposite faces of the panel in a clamping action and spaced by an intermediate portion dimensioned to engage the edges of the panel defining the aperture to limit relative movement of the guide. The region of engagement between the intermediate portion of the guide and the panel is so slight that in the event of unavoidable limited cocking of the guide, the panel frequently slips out of engagement with said intermediate portion and moves between the latter and the adjacent portion of the guide which engages the panel face and thus enables disengagement of the guide from the panel.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide an improved throttle cable guide of the above type which overcomes the foregoing problems and which may comprise an economically fabricated onepiece plastic material molded to comparatively relaxed dimensional tolerances, yet which is adapted to interlock positively and firmly with the panel to prevent inadvertent shifting and separation therefrom and which is readily operable to be separated from the panel to enable repairs or replacement.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the firewall of an automobile body, showing in elevation the assembled tubular guide for the throttle actuating cable, the guide being forced rearwardly, as for example during an assembly operation, to release the resilient arms of the guide from engagement with the firewall panel.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially'along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along theline 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, but showing the guide in its normal assembled position. i

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 1.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, a particular embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the application of adapted to receive a tubular guide for the cable 10. through the sheet metal firewall 11 of an automobile. A portion of the firewall is embossed to rigidify the structure and to provide a thin sheet steel panel 11a perpendicular to the axis of the cable 10 and having an aperture 12 adapted to receive a tubular guide for the cable 10.

The guide comprises a comparatively rigid one-piece molded resilient plastic material having a body 13 oversize with respect to the aperture 12 and providing a plane backing surface 14 adapted to confront the panel 11a in parallelism. An integral projection 15 of the body 13 extends through the aperture 12 and is provided with an integral rearward enlargement 16 comprising a rearwardly tapered nose for guiding the projection 15 through the aperture 12 by cam action. Also integral with the nose or rearward enlargement 16 at opposite sides are a pair of laterally and forwardly diverging arms 17 spaced throughout the major portion of their length from the projection 15. Rearwardly of the enlargement 16, the projection 15 continues at 18 to provide a tubular guide for the cable 10 which may be operatively connected at its rearward and forward ends in a conventional manner with the throttle foot pedal and throttle valve, respectively. The bore of the projection 18 extends coaxially forward into the enlargement 16 and enlarges at 19 to tightly receive a sheath 20 for the cable 10.

Integral with the body 13 and extension 15 and extending rearwardly from the face 14 into the aperture 12 is a forward enlargement 21 which terminates in a rear face 21a normally parallel to the surface 14 and slightly forwardly of the rear face of the panel 11a when these elements are in their assembled condition, FIG. 5. The rear face 21a is also spaced slightly forwardly from the forward ends of the arms 17 so that the latter may yield resiliently toward the extension 15 into the space 22 immediately rearward of the enlargement 21 to permit passage of the projection 15 and arms 17 through the aperture 12 during assembly or disassembly.

In order to limit lateral movement of the body 13 within the aperture 12, a pair of lugs 23 integral with the body 13 and projection 15 extend rearwardly from the surface 14 (to appreciably overlap the forward ends of the arms 17) and radially from the projection 15 trans versely to the directions of lateral divergence of the arms 17. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the lugs 23 are dimensioned laterally so as to be confined closely within mating portions 12a of the aperture 12, thereby to limit lateral movement of the integral body 13 and projection 15 within the aperture 12. Seated on the forward enlargement 21 under compression between the surface 14 and front face of the panel 11a is a spacer 24 of resiliently compressible material which yieldingly urges the body 13 forwardly and maintains the forward ends of the arms 17 in snug engagement with the rear face of the panel 11a. Thus the cable guide is positively maintained in substantially fixed position within the aperture 12.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the cable guide may be readily assembled with the panel 11a by inserting the extension 18 through the aperture 12 until the rearwardly tapered nose 16 engages the edges of the aperture 12 and earns the arms 17 resiliently into the spaces 22. The compressible spacer 24 is sutficiently compressible within its elastic limits to enable rearward movement of the arms 17 beyond the rear face of the panel 11a, FIG. 1, whereupon the resiliently yieldable arms 17 are free to return to their normal undistorted condition as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5. Thereafter the rearward force applied to the body 13 during assembly is released and the resiliency of the spacer 24 moves the body 13 forwardly from the panel 11:: and urges the forward ends of the arms 17 tightly against the panel 11a as aforesaid.

The cable guide may be readily disassembled from the panel 11a by substantially the reverse operation wherein the body 13 is forced forwardly to compress the spacer 24 to the condition illustrated in FIG. 1. The arms 17 are then squeezed inwardly into the spaces 22 and withdrawn together with projection 15 forwardly from the aperture 12.

By virtue of the structure described, the arms 17 will readily yield resiliently into the space 22 without interference from either of the enlargements 21 or 23. In this regard, the minimum clearance between the surface 21a and the forward ends of the arms 17 must be adequate to assure that the latter will swing into the space 22 to enable their passage through aperture 12, as for example during assembly with the panel 11a, regardless of production variations in the length of the arms 17 and the axial width of the enlargement 21. When such minimum clearance is assured, the maximum clearance in the event of a stackup of dimensional tolerances or flexing of the arms 17 or panel 11a, as occurs during operation of the cable 10, may be greater than the thickness of the thin panel 11a. Nevertheless, regardless of the gap that might exist between the face 21a and the forward end of one of the arms 17, the thin edge of the panel 11a still cannot slip off the enlargement 21 and into the space 22 at one side of the projection 15 sulficiently to enable the arm 17 at the opposite side to be withdrawn forwardly through the aperture 12. Thus a commercially satisfactory cable guide which will not work loose from the panel 11a during operation may be economically formed by conventional mass production molding processes which are usually not susceptible of dimensional precision.

I claim:

1. Guide means for supporting and guiding a cable axially through an aperture in a comparatively thinpanel, said means comprising a body having a backing surface oversize with respect to said aperture and adapted to confront a front face of said panel around said aperture, a projection of said body extending axially rearwardly from said backing surface for insertion through said aperture, said projection having a forwardly extending arm spaced from and diverging from One side of saidprojec tion to engage the rear face of said panel laterally of said aperture to prevent forward passage therethrough when said projection extends therein, said arm being resiliently yieldable sidewise toward said side to pass through said aperture, resilient means adapted to extend around said projection under compression between said front face and surface to urge the latter yieldingly forward from said front face and hold the forward end of said arm firmly against said rear face, said resilient means being resiliently compressible between said surface and front face to enable said arm to move rearwardly from said rear face when said body is forced toward said panel, a bore extending axially through said body and projection for passage of said cable, and means to prevent sidewise movement of said body within said aperture in the direction of resilient yielding of said arm comprising a panel engaging portion of said projection dimensioned to fit closely within mating portions of said aperture, to interengage said panel at various locations which do not define a plane parallel to both the axis of said bore and said sidewise direction of resilient yielding of said arm, the surface of said panel engaging portion being parallel to the axis of said bore and extending axially rearwardly at least to overlap said forward end of said arm and extending axially forwardly at least to within said aperture when said projection is forced rearwardly through said aperture to the limit of resilient compressibility of said resilient means, said side and arm defining a space therebetween dimensioned to receive said arm upon resilient yielding thereof and having a transverse opening which freely opens transversely of said sidewise direction of resilient yielding.

2. In the combination according to claim 1, said body, projection and arms comprising a comparatively rigid, resilient, one-piece, molded material, the portion of said side located inwardly of said arm also extending transversely of said sidewise direction to define one edge of said transverse opening.

3. In the combination according to claim 1, said projection having a forward enlargement dimensioned to fit closely within said aperture, said forward enlargement also extending axially rearwardly from said surface to a location short of said forward end of said arm and also short of the rear face of said panel when the latter and guide means are assembled.

4. In this combination according to claim 2, said projection having an integral rearward enlargement comprising a rearwardly tapered nose for guiding the passage of said projection rearwardly into said aperture by cam action, said arm comprising an integral extension of said rearward enlargement.

5. In the combination according to claim 4, said body having an integral forward enlargement, said forward enlargement extending from said backing surface into said aperture and terminating rearwardly at a location proximate and forward of said forward end of said arm when the latter is deformed yieldably toward said side of said projection to pass through said aperture, said panel engaging portion comprising a lug integral with said projection and body and extending rearwardly from said backing surface to prevent movement of said panel between said, forward enlargement and the forward end of said arm, said lug extending outwardly from said projection transversely of said sidewise direction to a greater extent than the outward extension of said projection in said sidewise direction and terminating in said sidewise direction short of said transverse opening of said space, thereby to avoid obstructing said opening.

6. In the combination according to claim 2, the dimension of said panel engaging portion transversely of said sidewise direction being different from the dimension of said projection in said sidewise direction, and said panel engaging portion terminating in said sidewise direction short of said transverse opening of said space, thereby to avoid obscuring said opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 3,139,768 7/1964 Biesecker 287--20 X 3,221,572 12/1965 Swick 287-20 X 3,415,549 12/1968 Chatham 28720 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner W. L. SHEDD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 285-129 

